Manufacture of cigarette and other article cases



J. C. GUNN. MANUFACTURE OF CIGARETTE AND OTHER ARTICLE CASES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. I9I9. 1,344,506.

Patented June 22, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

(TM 1mm Joh ar/cs Gun/1 J. C. GUNN. MANUFACTURE OF CIGARETTE AND OTHER ARTICLE CASES.

Patented June 22, 192 0.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, [9'19- l T l l l I l i i f x? 36. .es f" r'.\ i g i 32 55% T l 4 l 41 27 26 fwvwvm John Charles Gum:

J. C. GUNN. MANUFACTURE OF CIGARETTE AND OTHER ARTICLE CASES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1919- I Patented June 22, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- E MMMHMMHNM Gwen Cow John Charles Gun/7 UNITED STATES JOHN CHARLES GUNN, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF CIGARETTE AND OTHER ARTICLE CASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22,1920.

Application filed. June 4, 1919. Serial No. 301,797.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, J OHN CHARLns GUNN, a subject of the King of England, and re siding at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented Improvements in and Connected with the Manufacture of Cigarette and other Article Cases, of which the following is a specification. This invention has reference to cases for holding cigarettes and other articles to which it is applicable, and more particularly that kind of case of which the body is made of thin board or stiff paper, which is cut into the form required and creased or indented for folding, and constitutes the blank, which when manipulated and folded forms the two sides, ends, (each made of two overlapping parts), bottom, and the lid or flap; and it relates further to that type of such machines or means for making such cases in which there is employed a plunger and former or die, in some of which type grooves or recesses and guiding parts are used to act upon parts of the paper to fold one upon the other, and also in some of which turners are used for the side flaps.

The present invention has for its object and effect to make the cases by mechanical means such as referred to so as to enable the cases to be folded and made from. the blanks more rapidly than is possible at present when made by the manual method, and thereby diminish the cost of their manufacture. I

The means for folding and making up the cases from the blanks is shown in the annexed drawings, as is also one of the blanks; Figure 1 being a longitudinal section showing the normal or non-operative position of the parts; Fig. 2 a longitudinal section showing the parts at a certain point of their movement; and Fig. 3 a sectional plan; and the invention will be mainly described. in connection with these drawings; Fig. 4 is a plan of the boX blank ready for folding.

Fig. 5 is a part sectional elevation of a case completed.

The blank shown in Fig. 4: is one specially adapted for forming cases for holding cigarettes having two compartments, and provided with means for enabling the cigarettes in the separate compartments to be lifted from the bottom, so that their upper ends project up above the mouth of the case Whenthe lid and flap are off; this means for llftmg the cigarettes in the case being furnlshed by the application and use of an internal fitting of paper secured on the interior surface of the blank, and formed, as hereinafter explained; but it is to be understood the invention is in no way restricted to this particular case.

The means for folding and making cases of the kind referred to, comprises side sur faces for supporting the end portions of the blank which is to be folded, and movable center portions for supporting the portions of the blank-to form other parts of the box; and further the former or die through which the blanks are pressed by the presser or plunger has at its sides inclined recesses and tongues on the inside of same for fold mg the portions to form the ends of the case, which when the folding is being effected will at their upper parts, stand above the level of the portions of same which act on the portions of the blank which are to form the sides.

Other characteristics of the invention are comprised in the apparatus or means hereinafter described, and are specifically set out in the claiming clauses concluding the specification.

. In the case shown, the blank is provided with parts 7 on the end parts 6, which after the body of the case has been formed will. project vertically from the ends, and are folded in by hand when the case is removed from the machine onto the inside of the end portions 5, to whicl'i they may be adhered desired or not. In some cases however the flaps 7 are not used.

011 the side portion 8. the portion 9 which is to form the lid of the case is provided; and on the outer edge of this part 9, the portion 10 which is to form the flap of the lid is furnished, a crease or indentation ll being provided between the side portion 3 and the lid 9, and a similar crease 12 between the outer edge of the lid 9 and the flap portion 10, about which creases the material is suitably folded; and a slit will be furnished in the side portion 2 into which the tongue 13 of the flap 10 will be inserted when the case is closed.

With regard to the internal portion which hered at its upper part to the upper part of the inside of the side portion 3, and havmg a partition portion 16 made simply by folding the sheet of paper 15 double to the V extent of the width of the box from front to back; while the parts 17 of the sheet which are divided as shown, extend over the. bottom portion 1' of the case; and from the edge of each of these portions 17, a strip 18 extends, the upper portion of which projects, as seen, beyond the front lip of the mouth of the case, so that it can be taken hold of by the finger and thumb, and when pulled, the bottom 17 will be raised and with it the cigarettes resting upon it.

The front sider2 is gapped at 20 for greater convenience in manipulating the strips 18; and these strips are heldin place and guided by an inwardly folded portion 21, forming part of the blank, and adhered along each edge, and to the interior of the side 2.

Referring 110w to the machine shown in. the drawings, the part wh1ch comes upon the portion 1 of the blank which is to form the bottom, consists of a plunger25, the end of which is about the same area as the part 1. It is moved up and down in guides 26 say by an eccentric, crank, or like motion, which gives a slow rectilinear motion, when this plunger is at the upper and lower ends of its stroke, which is convenient; and the crank or eccentric may be mounted or worked from a shaft-carriedby the .upper parts of the frames 26not shown-as will be well understood. .7

,The blank is fed onto and supported 011, while being operated by the plunger 25, a table thecenter portion 30 of which is in two parts, supported on hinges at the ends remote from the plunger; and the two inner adjacent ends of which are wider apart somewhat than the thickness of the plunger 25, say to the extent of a little more than the thickness of the material of which the case is formed, and the side portions 39 of I the tablewhich support theparts 5, 6, of

the blankare immovable.

The table parts 30 are kept in their upper positions as shown in Fig. 1 is the. same plane,'by springs as 32 (or it' '1nay be by 7 counter balance weights) which form a re-- sistanee .to theipressing downward, of the tables, and also hold them in their normal position; and they have a limited downward movement as shown in Fig. 2-, the limiting in the case shown, being the upper parts of the main former or die 35 -of the machine, through which the case is pressed.-

The blanks will be piled up on the feed table 36, and will be fed from the pile by hand onto the table 30, 39 the register for effecting the correct position of the blank upon the table, so that the bottom part 1 comes directly under the end of the plunger 25, being elfected by a stop or register 37, which may be adjustable on the machine longitudinally to enable the machine totake blanks of different sizes. Sidewise the blanks are guidedib'y side guides 38, which keep them in position laterally.

The main former ordie 35 is a short rectangular tube or aperture about the same transverse section as the case; and the plunger has such a stroke that in folding and forming the case after the operation is effected, it will discharge it from the open bottom of the former. 7

When the blank is fed onto the tables 30 and registered and the plunger 25 descends, the resistance of the board. of which the blank is formed to bending along the creases l ofthe bottom and ends 5, 6, causes the tables 30 to move down about their hinges 31; thus, as the tables 30 are pressed down, and the sides remain stationary, these sides at and near theadjacent freeends of the movable table portions 30 form formers as it were, and the end portions 5, 6, of the case near their lower parts are pressed inward by these parts 39, and at the same time the sides 2, 3, begin .to rise up from off the table, and bendabout the creases 4.

The proper order of folding and overlapping of the two portions 5, 6, which are to form the ends of the case, iseffected by the pro ecting tongues 10 which extend on each side of the former aperture as shown, so

' that the end parts 5 are pressed or bent inward more or less closely to the edges of the plunger 1n lts descent; and outside the tongues 40 the slide tableparts 39 are cut one another, the parts 6 (whichare'to con stitute the outside of the ends of the boxes) will come outside the parts '5. i

The recesses 41 diminish in width from the upper level of the stationary table parts 39 downward or merge into the endsurfaces of the main former 35.

When in the operationthe ends of the table 30 rest on their limiting stops, by the further descent of the plunger 25 the sides 2, 3, and the ends 5, 6, are rapidly pressed in and folded, and will lie practically against the surface of the plunger; and as the end portions 6 pass out of the gaps 4:1 beneath the tongue guide pieces .40, their surfaces are brought together by-the end portions of the main former 35 and pressed onto one another, and adhered, and in their passage through the former 35, pressure of the two portions 5, 6, on one another is maintained, so that they are firmly adhered together, and the case thus folded or formed is delivered out through the bottom end of the former.

To provide space for the division piece 16 of the compartment paper 15, as the case is passing through the machine, the plunger 25 is gapped at 2'9 somewhat, and at this time the piece 16 will be bent toward the surface of the part 3.

The plunger 25 in the case shown is formed of a main central portion and two outside plates, which may be changeable, so as to provide for different widths of cases.

In the construction shown, the tables 30 are disposed at a sharp inclination; and the plunger 25 is disposed and works at an angle of 90 from the plane of the tables, the object of which is to furnish a gravity registering action of the blanks on the table. Namely, as the blanks are fed from the pile on the table 36 and fall onto the tables, they will slide by gravity down same up to the register or stop 37 with certainty; and a true registering is thus assured. In feeding the blanks by hand, to turn the blanks from the horizontal and tip them to the required angle as they are passed from the pile, a tipping bar or crank 28 hinged at 27 is provided, which is moved downward about its pivots 27 at the required moment, mechanically by any suitable gearing of the machine; and acting upon the overhanging forward portion of the blank which has been fed by hand, the blank is pressed down and tipped down the incline and slides by gravity up to the registering position.

In lieu of a gravity registering action, however, the registering might be effected by suitable mechanical feeding devices which act on the upper surfaces of the blank as it nears the register or gage 37, such devices being above the stationary edge portions 39 of the table.

If two machines were placed parallel in position, one attendant would feed two machines, one by the right hand and one by the left.

The adhesive for uniting the parts 5, (3, is applied to them prior to introducing the blocks into the apparatus.

What is claimed is 2- 1. In a paper box folding machine, a blank supporting table having sections adapted to receive the front and rear walls of the box blank, said sections being mounted for swinging movement, the sides of the table for supporting the side walls of the box blank being rigid, and a plunger operating upon a blank wall to depress the removable sections of the table, to cause the corresponding sections of the box blank to move toward each other while the side walls of the blank through the fixed said sections of the table are simultaneously folded inward.

2. In a paper box folding machine, a box blank supporting table having sections normally spaced to provide an intervening opening corresponding to one of the end walls of the box blank, said sections being pivotally mounted at the end to operate such opening, the side sections of the table being fixed against movement, the movable sections and side sections of the table supporting independent walls of the box blank, and a plunger for operating with that portion of the blank overlying the spaces between the ends of the movable sections.

3. In a paper box folding machine, a sup-.

porting table comprising fixed sections and movable sections, a plunger operating between the movable sections, and adapted to move said sections through an interposed box blank, the fixed sections folding the side walls of the blank inwardly, in the operation of the plunger on the blank, and means carried by the respective side walls of the fixed sections, to guide the side walls of the blank into position for lapping.

l. In a paper box folding machine, a supporting table comprising fixed sections and movable sections, a plunger operating between the movable sections, and adapted to move said sections through an interposed box blank, the fixed sections folding the side walls of the blank inwardly, in the operation of the plunger on the blank, and means carried by the respective side walls v, of the fixed sections, to guide the side walls of the blank into position for lapping, and

a former movable section to complete the folding of the box under the action of the plunger.

5. In a paper box folding machine, a blank supporting table comprising pivoted sections, and fixed sections, a plunger oper ating between the fixed sections, and serving to move the latter through the interposed blank, to initially fold predetermined portions of the box toward each other, the supporting table having the fixed sections formed with blank wall guiding means to arrange the respective portions of the blank forming such wall in lapped relation through the folding operation.

6. In a paper box folding machine, a blank suporting table comprising pivoted sections, and fixed sections, a plunger operating between the fixed sections, and serving to move the latter through the interposed blank, to initially fold predetermined portions of the box toward each other, the supporting table having the fixed sections formed with blank wall guiding means to In testimony whereof I have'signed my arrange the respective portions 01' the blank name to this specificatmn 111; the presence forming such wall in lapped relation of two subscrlblng wltnesses.

through the folding operation, and EL former JOHN CHARLES GUNN. 5 arranged below the supporting table to com- WV-itnesses:

plete the lapping of the sections of the side SOMERVILLE GOODALL,'

walls of the blank. ELsIE E. JORDAN. 

